How Old-School Caves in Kashmir Are Saving Our Dairy (and the Planet)!

In the serene village of Dudran, located in the picturesque Jammu and Kashmir region, locals have found a refreshingly old-fashioned way to keep their dairy products cool—caves! Yes, you heard that right. These traditional cooling caves, or dodh khots, utilize icy spring water to preserve milk, butter, and cheese without a single watt of electricity. Talk about keeping it natural! With frequent power cuts being the norm, this method not only ensures their dairy stays fresh but also helps the environment, cutting down on carbon emissions across the village.

The villagers, led by the wise Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh, take pride in generations of using these clever cooling systems. Imagine placing your fresh milk in a stone cave and securing it with a rock—who needs fancy fridges, right? Each cooling cave holds multiple vessels, and the system has been so successful that it saves around 7,100 kilograms of carbon emissions annually. That’s like having a couple of trees dedicated to your fridge!

Beyond dairy, residents also use the caves to store meat and veggies, proving these natural coolers can do it all. Plus, with climate change on everyone’s mind, Dudran’s approach offers a valuable lesson in low-tech sustainability that other remote regions could follow. So next time your fridge breaks down, just remember: Maybe there’s a chilling cave nearby waiting to take the plunge! What do you think—could the rest of the world learn something from Dudran’s eco-friendly traditions?

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